Core catcher



July 19, 1932.

L. H. WEL .LENS|EK CORE CATCHER 2 sheets-sheet 1r Filed Jan. l0. 1929 1111. M -w QNU 1 l u 4 W w Ell-M W 1 w r M .1, 4,. .4 /4 ,4. 4. /f 41.4 4., 4 Il.

ATTORNEY July 19, 1932. L. H. WELLENSIEK CORE CATCHER Filed` Jan. l0. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w, *MWA 6 w. L md F OO LJ A TTORNEY atented July 19, 1932 Urrea sinensis `LOUIS E. WELLENSIEK, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNO TO HUGHES TOOL. COMPANY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS; CORPORATION 0F TEXAS CORE CATC .a

My invention relates to core catchers for use in core drills employed in deep well drilling. It designed for engaging the core to break it oit' and withdraw it from the hole when the drill is withdrawn.

The core catchers heretofore employed for the purposestated are adapted to engage the core by the relative upward movement of the head of the drill, and means are employed so to project into contact with the core to grip the same when the drill is raised. This type of device is objectionable as the core engaging members tend to wear and break the core as the drill operates and also they sometimes te become lbroken or clogged and tail to propj erlv function.

t is an object of my invetnion to provide a core catcher which is entirely out of the path of the core, so as to leave a free and unobstructed passage for the core into the core barrel.

Another object is to provide a core catcher which -ismoved automatically into engagement with the core before the drill itself is 25 raised.

l desire to employ the weight of the drill and the force of the ushing Huid to actuate the catcher so as to grip the core firmly when the drill is to be removed. a0 ,f In the drawings herewith, is illustrati-*sd a preferredembodiment of the device. Fi 1 shows a central vertical section throng a drill employingv my invention, said drill being shown in relation to the core to be engaed. ig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in core engaging position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar section on the plane 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a broken enlarged detail in section through one of the gripping dogs.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top lain view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 shows a side and front view of the holding block employed to engage and hold the pull rod. j 5 have shown my invention adapted for use in combination with a hard formationv core drill. The drill comprises a head 1 oftubular form, having rolling cutters 2 at the lower end. This head is threaded internally at its upper end at 4 for engagement with a 55 special sub or drill collar 3. The upper end of the head shoulders against the lower end of the collar at 19, and an annular groove 5 in the upper end of the head serves as a chamber with which water passages 6 in the collar connect. The channels 7 in the head discharge iuid from the chamber upon the cutters.

The internal diameter of the drill collar 3 is increased at 8 to receive a core barrel 9 which is screwed into the said collar and projects upwardly into the drill-stem, not shown.

The drill collar is made up of an upper section 10, and lower section 11, the upper section telescoping over the upper end of the lower section. The upper section engages the shoulder 12 of the lower section; and the lower section enga es the shoulder 13 on the upper section. aid upper section is threaded at 16 to engage the drill stem and the telescopic' joint between the two sectionsI is made duid tlght by means of packing rings 14 on the upper portion of the lower section.

rlhere is a limited amount of vertical moven ment between the two sections of the collar but they are keyed together to prevent relative rotation. The keys which connect the two parts are shown at 15. For purposes of assembly, the keys are made up of blocks, see Fig. 8, which may be inserted through-openings 17 in the side wall of the upper section.` rli`he inner section has keyways 18 to receive said keys, said keyways being slightly longer thanthe keys to allow a limited relative sliding movement indicated at 18 in Fig. 1.

rlhe blocks 15, which form the keys, are welded in position when the sections are assembled to ether. The inner facev of each block has a -shaped recess or groove 30 to receive the upper end of the pull rod `20 which fits therein.

rlhe said rods 2O extend downwardly from the keys through channels 28 in the lower section and are secured pivotall to the `core engaging dogs ,21 adjacent the ower end of` I the said lower section. Said dogs are flattened, semi-c lindrical discs, mounted inremovable bloc s 22 and pivoted to oscillate `on pins 23 in said blocks. The do 21 are curved slightly transversely u on t eir inner faces 24 as seen in Fig. 7. eir rear faces are slotted at 25 to receive the lower ends of said rods 20. A in transversely of each slot 25 has a threaded) openingtherein to en age the lower endof said rod, as rshown inA igs. 5 and 6.

The blocks 22 are shown as separate parts fitted through openin in the side walls of 'the collar and welde in position. This is for urposes of assembly. The pama es 28 l are arger than said rods 20, so that sai yrods can have radial play as the dogs are rotated. There are three sets of cofre-engaging dogs and rods shown, but any desired number may be'employed.

' In use,`the drill and collar are assembled as shown and inserted into the well for operation. The weight of the drill head and lower section of the coilar 3 will cause the lower section todrop relative to the upper section and the do core en aging position as shown in Fig. 2. When e bottom ofthe hole is reached, the weight of the upper section and drill stem will force the two` sections of' the collar tother for drilling as seen in Fig. 1. As t e drill is operated, the core will move upwardly into the collar and core barrel andv the dogs 21 will not interfere with its free entrance to the core barrel 9. The dogs till the recess in which they are housed and no chips nor fragments of matfrial can get behind theni.

When it is desired to raise tbe core drill and core from the hole,the drill stem is drawn upwardly, and the pumps will be kept operating, as the first upward lift is given to the drill. The weight of the drill and lower section of the collar, together with the force of the iushing fluid against the head will tend to hold the drill from rising as the upper i section of the collar is lifted to pull upon said rods and rotate the dogs 21 into core-engaging position before'the drill is raised. When the keys 15 are at the lower ends of the keyl ways, the drill will then also be raised together with the core gripped by the dogs 21, as shown in Fig. 2.

The core catcher thus formed is particularly` effective in that it does not interfere with the passage of the core upwardly into the core barrel. The dogs are not exposedl to wear or breakage, and they arepositively f being formed, and itfwill be gripped and withdrawn without-failure of the core grip- `21 will be rotated intoA What I claim as new is:

1. A core drill having a headland .cutters thereon in combination with a drill collar,

tation o the said sections, core engaging dogs mounted on a horizontal axis in one of said sections and adapted to move in a vertical,

planeand means on the other sectionlslidable including upper and lower sections telescopit `cally en aged, means to prevent relative roo 1n the first of said sections and responsive to 75 cally engaged, ke s in one of said sections' engaging within e ways in the other section toprevent relative rotation thereof, core engaging dogs mounted on a horizontal axis in one o? said sections and adapted to move in a vertical plane and means responsive to relative longitudinal movement of the sections to move said dogs both' to or from core en a osition.

iilga Pcore drill2 a drill collar having upper and lower sections,I a core barrel therein` coreengaging meansfbelow said core barrel, and ri 'd means on said upper section connected irectly with said core-enga in means actuated b the relative longitu ina movement of sai sections to force said core engaging means positively into core engaging position.

4. In a core driil, a drill collar, having upper and lower sections, means securin said sections together but allowing a limite ver- 1 vertical movement relative to each other,

and core engaging dogs normally retracted within the walls of said drill collar and means includin rigid rods actuated vby the relative upwar movement of said upper section to positively move said dogs to engage a; core.

6. A core drill, a drill collar thereon, a core barrel in said collar, there being a free and unobstructed passage from said drillto said core barrel, core engaging dogs housed within said drill collar and pivoted on a horizontal axis to be partially rotated to project into said passage by an upward pull on said drill collar. V

7 A core drill, a drill 'collar comprising upper and lower relatively movable parte,

its

mamar a set of core engaging d ogs housed in said lower section, said dogs being pivoted in said section to swing into engagement `with the core, and rods connecting said dogs with said upper section of said drill collar whereby said dogs may be moved to core engaging posit-ion. l,

8. A core drill, a core barrel, there being an unobstructed, passage from said core drill into said core barrel, a telescopic joint above said drill, core-engaging devices normally housed in the wall of said passage, and means including rods connecting said devices with the upper portion of said joint actuated by relative movement of the parts of saidl joint to actuate said devices to engage the core.

9. A core drill, a core barrel above said drill, a tubular drill collar on said drill, comprising upper and lower sections telescopically engaged to allow a limited relative longitudinal movement, core engaging dogs normally housed wholly within the walls of said lower section, and rods connecting saidv dogs with said upper section, whereby said dogs may be ymoved to engage a core.

10. A core drill, a core barrel above said drill, a tubular drill collar on said drill, comprising upper and lower sections telescopically engaged to allow a limited relative longitudinal movement, core engaging dogs normally housed wholly within the walls ofsaid lower section, said dogs being fixed against sliding movement in said section,.and rods connecting said dogs with said upper section, whereby said dogs may be moved to engage a core. i

11. ln a core drill, a drill collar, a core barrel, core engaging means below said core barrel in said collar, and means actuated by the weight of the drill and core barrel to force lsaid core engaging means into contact with the core.

12. In a core drill, a drill head, a drill collar thereon, said collar being formed in upper and lower sections telescopically connected to allow a limited relative longitudinal movement of said sections, dogs lvotal ly supported in said lower section, ro s thereon connecting said dogs with said upper section whereby said dogs are positively rotated by the relative longitudinal movement of saidl sections.

13. 1n a core drill, a drill head, a drill collar thereon, said collar being formed in upper and lower sections telescopically connected to allow a limited relative longitudi? nal movement of said sections, dogs plvotally supported in one of said sections, rods on said dogs connected with 'the other of said sections and adapted to move said do by the relative longltudinal movement o said sections.

14. In a core drill, means whereby said drill may be rotated, a telescopic joint in said rotating means, including upper and lower members, a set of core-engaging jaws on one of said members, rigid operating devices pivotally connected with said jaws at one end and with the other of said members at the other end, and means to limit the relative movement of said members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a my signature this 7th day of Januar A. D. 1929.

LOUIS H. WELINSIEK.

Masera 

